Improvements in or relating to bras

ABSTRACT

A bra including respective first and second sides each adapted to fit respective breasts; each side including a cup adapted to fit a predetermined cup size; a hook free shoulder strap; and an attachment strap capable of attaching the bra to a body in use, wherein the attachment strap includes a plurality of slots which can be engaged by a hook located at one end of the strap to thereby regulate the size of the bra for each user.

The Present Invention Relates To Improvements In Or Relating To Bras

It is usual for women to wear a bra. There are many different types,sizes and models. Some bras are more comfortable than others. Some brasfit well and some do not. Some bras are easy to put on and some are not,especially when arm movement is inhibited in one way or another.

One particular issue that is not addressed well by bra designers andmanufacturers is the fact that often one breast may be a different sizeto the other. This generally means that the cup size for each breast isdifferent. This may be a natural phenomenon or may be brought about bybreast or lump removals in the case of illness. Whatever the reason,women have been looking long and hard for a comfortable bra whichaddresses some or all of the problems associated with current bras.

Bras which have different cup sizes for each breast have been proposed,for example in WO2014089762. Whilst addressing some problems these brasare uncomfortable, difficult to fit and difficult to put on.

The present invention attempts to solves at least some of the problemsassociated with the prior art.

Some of the problems being address are set out below. Bras at difficultto put on especially if the wearer is elderly or has some type ofdisability. Some wearers attach the bra at the back, but this needstheir arms to be sufficiently supple. Some wearers attach their bra atthe front and then twist the bra around the body. At least with bras forlarger sizes the twisting method if virtually impossible.

Bras include a back wing on each side. Back wings are made of powerfabric that generally covers a small area in order to link the side cupto the hook and eye that will link the bra band. Constraints on the hookand eye oblige the pattern maker to rely on strap length and quality forany stability. This generally means the strap is rigid and may dig intothe shoulder.

There are generally two or three hooks and eyes depending on the breadthof the band. Most bras have several adjustment positions so that thetightness of the bra can be adjusted. The distance thus varies from 4 cmfor 3 positions to 6 cm for maximum adjustment on 5 positions (i.e. fora maternity bra). It is advisable, when buying a bra, to attach the brawith the closest combination of hook and eye. This means there may be avariance of up to 4.5 cm in the length of the bra band for differentusers. An issue with this is that it will not guarantee the wearer willa “tight fit” and it is likely that this will worsen when the bandstarts to “give” with time. The nature of the band means that the bra iswidened several centimeters with time. This could be made worse withtwisting. The fasteners furthest away may serve in the future but couldgive rise to squeezing and discomfort.

The standard bra closure is composed of one or more small metal hooksand corresponding metal eyes. These can be difficult to fasten,especially if they are not visible. Standard hook and eye are composedof 1 to 4 rows and 1 to 5 columns and misalignment is common. The morerows, the tighter the bra grips the body. Wearers having arthritis andthe like may actually be unable to put on a standard bra without help.

A standard bra is linked at the center front in order to guide thewearer's breast to find its place into the cup volume area. The centerfront is generally beautiful made and factories are working hard to makea perfect symmetrical bra with a perfect center front that becomes verydifficult to stitch especially with bras having large cups. Often someof the breast may show at a neckline and unless the wearer is perfectlysymmetrical in terms of breast size the size difference is oftennoticeable. Many wearers do not like this and take action to push up onebreast or squash down another. Standard bras simply cannot correct forthe lack of symmetry of just about every wearer. This may be even moresignificant if the wearer has undergone some type of breast surgery,

The invention is defined in the independent claims. Various optionalfeatures of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an extended front view of a first side of a bra, according toone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2a is a front view of a first side of a bra on a body, according toone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2b is a front view of a second side of a bra on a body, accordingto one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a first and second side of a bra, according toone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4a is a rear view of a first side of a bra on a body, according toone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4b is a rear view of a second side of a bra on a body, according toone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of a first and second side of a bra on a body,according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a view of an infinity under band used to attach the bra sidesto the user, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a front view of first and second side of a bra for a narrowbreast frame, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a first and second side of a bra for a widebreast frame, according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 9a to 9d show views from above and below to show the fitting ofthe bra according to on embodiment of the present invention (9 a and 9b) when compared to a standard bra (9 c and 9 d).

The present invention relates to a bra which has two separate sides onefor each breast. The two separate sides may be of different sizes toaccommodate women having breasts of different cup sizes.

Referring to FIG. 1, a first bra side 100 is illustrated. The bra sideincludes a cup 102, a shoulder strap 104, a back panel or rear portion103 and an infinity under band 106 for attaching the bra to the user.

The bra is made up of two bra sides, each one having a different cupsize if required. There are other bras that exist and have two sidesthese have many disadvantages and are in many cases difficult to wearand to put on. The manner in which a person can put on the bra accordingto the present invention is described below.

The bra cup can be sized according to known sizing such as A, D, C, D,DD etc. The cup is made of a soft material such as a microfiber clothwhich can be positioned over the breast in an optimal position for eachuser. There are no wires to dig into the flesh of the user, which can bevery uncomfortable, especially for the larger woman. By having thecorrect cup size for each breast the cup will conform as close aspossible to the breast and hold it in place. There will be no sagging ofthe bra and no bad fitting of each cup. The cup can be sewn or molded ina microfiber material.

The shoulder strap can be of a fixed length as the cup size is correctand the user does not need to shorten or lengthen the shoulder strap toaccommodate for a poor fitting cup size as is the case of manypreviously existing bras. In addition, as there is no need to adjust thelength of the strap, an adjustment mechanism on the shoulder strap isnot necessary. This makes the bra more comfortable and much less fiddlyto wear and adjust. In addition, there is a saving in manufacturingcosts and time as a shoulder strap adjustment mechanism does not need tobe added to the bra. The reason why no strap adjustment is due in partto the back panel or rear portion 103, which is wide enough to keepcontrol of the bra balance and to avoid the strap digging into the user.

As the user can buy different cup sizes for each breast the final bra iscompletely adapted to be the right size for both breasts. There is nolonger a need to have a bra which is saggy on one side because it is toobig for the breast size on that side. Users can now have a bra whichfits perfectly even if there is a large different in cup size from onebreast to the other.

FIG. 2a shows the first bra side in situ on a body. The shoulder strap104 extends over the shoulder. The cup 102 is positioned over thebreast. The infinity under band 106 extends around the body underneaththe breast and is fixed by the hook 108 to one of the slots 110. FIG. 2bshows the position of a second bra side on the body.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of a user wearing both a RHS and a LHS braside, where each side is substantially as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 a and 2 b,except for one bra side is for the RHS and the other for the LHS. Eachof the RHS and LHS sides are attached under the opposing arm by arespective hook engaging a respective slot.

In order to put the bra on, the user will first position the first braside bra by threading the bra onto the arm. The bra side is then closeand then the second side is similarly positioned and closed. Which sideis positioned first is not important and depends on the user'spreferences.

The bra of the present invention has been separated into two pieces inorder to allow the flexibility of having two different cup size but alsoto fit the breast and/or any prosthesis as wearer wishes to use, with noconstraints.

The method by which the bra is put on is now described in greater detailand is believed to offer an easy and ergonomic way to put on a bra. Inaddition, the bra is easy to put on even if the wearer has had recentsurgery or has movement issues brought on by age or disability.

The wearer selects a desired cup size for each bra part. The bottom bandis fastened either at the front or a side the opposite breast to whichthe cup is to be worn. The attachment can be as loose or tight as thewearer wishes. If the bra includes wire, the wire is already in placeand does not need to be twisted or bent to sit below the breast. Thereis no discomfort. The wearer passes the arm inside the armhole: the factthere is only one cup ease this movement and the wearer can easilythread their arm through the armhole. The wearer then arranges thebreast and center front as required. If necessary the band tightness canbe adjusted if necessary. The other side of the bra is fitted in thesame way.

The fact that the bra has no strap adjusters means there is no need toadjust strap length. As will be clear from the following the shape, formand fabric of the back of the bra and the specific special strapcomposition play a major role in the “balance” of the bra.

Back wings of the bra are a continuation of the front cup coverage.Straps been placed in a predetermined area, when compared withtraditional bras to mean that the bra will be less painful for theshoulders. The back wing covers enough the back in order to “grip” thebody and adds to the bra balance. The back wing may be made from abreathable microfiber with a high percentage of elastane.

The strap is soft and not hard and rigid as is often the caser withtraditional bras. The strap is made of a special material will preventthe breasts from bouncing when wearer walk but will appear softer andmore forgiving when the wearer is not moving. The straps may be madefrom a combination of a microfiber and elastane, for example Fiber J TM.The shape and material of the strap means that the strap does not diginto the shoulders.

As previously mentioned the bra makes use of a so called infinity strapfor closing the bra around the body. There is no fixed hook and eyefastener. Instead the band is very flexible from a size point of viewand one bra will fit many different sizes as is described in greaterdetail elsewhere. The body strap has been created as a special slottedband that can be hooked at any point along its length. This closuresystem helps the wearer to place on her bra in a first step by closingher bra at front area, passing her opposite arm to the armhole with easeand then to adjust the band tightness as required when the breast is inplace. The closure is flexible which means the wearer does not need to“squeeze” her body. The bra is well fitted and once adjusted in thefirst place will remain in that orientation for as long as necessary.

The bra has got one non-metal hook for each cup and an infinity bandcomprising a plurality of slots (that replace the function of the eye ina traditional bra) that are spaced along the band every few millimeters.This may result in not having to make different band sizes and theavoidance of many hooks. This can be achieve by virtue of the fact thatthe shape and form of the front and back bra and special strap are doingthe fit and balance without having to “squeeze” the wearer by means of abottom band like a standard bra will do. The hook been designed to beergonomic, easy to grip and thread into any slot, without having tolook. This means the wearer can do up their bra without looking as well.The hook has also been developed to be non-metallic material in order toallow wearer to keep the bra on for any medical exam or scan. An exampleof an appropriate material for the hook is a resin type material or aplastics material.

As can further be seen in FIG. 3 there is no “center front” to the bra.Usually, all bras include a center front albeit small or large dependingon the exact nature of the bra. The center front defines a predeterminedgap between the two breasts and forces the breasts to be in a positiondefined by the bra, which may not be natural or comfortable. Again thisis a limitation of current bras, as not all women have the same gapbetween their breasts. If the center front is the wrong length, it maybe uncomfortable. By having no center front, the bra of the presentinvention can be adapted to suit users having different gaps between thetwo breasts. This is clearly a further advantage of this bra over theprior art. In addition, there is a further advantage of not having acenter front; there is still a further saving in terms of themanufacturing process, since attaching a center front between the cupsis an additional manufacturing step which is fiddly and time consumingand requires addition material.

As the bra has no center front it addresses one of many standard brafrustrations. Without a pre-linked center front, the wearer is able toplace her bra cups above her breast and/or prosthesis the way she feels,without much constraint. Without pre-linked center front, the wearer cantake two different cup size or match different types (including aprosthesis pocket or not) or even colors. Without center front prelinked the wearer can clip a special designed removable hook onto herbottom band to feel secure along the day.

Another important feature of the bra which distinguishes it from knownbras is that, as there is no center front, there is no gap between thebreasts. As each breast is enclosed with an individual cupped half bra.This has further advantages. The gap between the breasts in atraditional bra can easily become wet due to perspiration. This can beso intense that the wearer of the traditional bra is forced to put atissue or other absorbent material in the gap between the breasts toabsorb the perspiration. This can be uncomfortable and unsightly. Thefact that there is no center front to the bra of the present inventionmeans that is provides a covering to each breast completely around thebreast and no gap exists between the two breasts which is not retainedin the respective cup. This means there is no gap in which perspirationcan build up. The material in this area of the present invention canfurther be adapted if necessary to be more absorbent to deal with anyresidual perspiration that may occur. This is shown in FIGS. 9 a.

A still further advantage of not having a center front is that this lackof gap between the breasts means that the breasts are better supportedand move around less as the wearer moves. This is particularly relevantto movement of the breast in a sideways direction but can apply to anymovement. As a result there is less strain on the back and shoulders dueto the weight of the breasts and the momentum caused by movement of thebreasts. The result is the bra of the present invention is that itprovides more balance and comfort than traditional bras and the weareris much less likely to suffer from back strain and shoulder pain. Thisis especially true for large breasted women.

Referring to FIGS. 9a and 9b , when seen from above and below the bra ofthe present invention does not have any gaps between the bra and thebody. From above the crossover of the two cups substantially enclosesthe two breasts separately and there is no gaps between the breasts whenviewed from above. This looks more attractive than a substantial gapbetween the breasts for wearers with large breasts and is much morecomfortable than squeezing the breasts together to produce a large“cleavage”. Whilst many wearers would like to have a good cleavage it isoften very uncomfortable and there is a sense of relief when the wearerremoves the bra.

From below with a traditional bra there is often a gap between thebottom strap and the body under the breasts. This means that the bra isnot supporting the breasts in the correct position. The bra of thepresent invention does not have this problem and the infinity strap isflush with the body along its length even under the breasts wheretraditional bras may have gaps. The bra of the present invention thusprovides full support for the breast in all directions without causingant discomfort to the wearer. Similar views to 9 a and 9 b are shown fora standard bar in FIGS. 9c and 9d , to highlight the profound differenceis fitting using a standard bra as opposed to the bra according to thepresent invention. The molding of the bra of the present invention toconform to the breasts gives rise to a considerable more comfortable andwell-fitting garment as can be seen in FIGS. 9a and 9 b.

FIGS. 4a and 4b show the rear of the first and second sides when worn bythe user. There is a rear portion 103 or 112 for each bra side whichmakes the bra comfortable to wear. The rear portion is made of anappropriate microfiber and may be lined with a breathable power mesh inorder to adhere to the back. This helps with the natural balance of thebra and avoids the bra slipping. FIG. 5 shows the two sides togetherfrom the rear and shows and overlap 114.

FIG. 6 shows the infinity under band or attachment strap 106 in moredetail and shows the generally desired position of the hook 108 whenengaged with a slot 110. For optimal comfort and ease of closing the braside, the hook engages a slot under the arm or at the side of the chestof the user, opposite the breast for which the bra side is to be used.This can be done without looking and by a single arm and the user doesnot need to twist and turn to attach the bra. In a prefered embodimentthe hook is not made of metal and is made of a plastics material or aresin.

The infinity under band includes a plurality of slots along the lengththereof. The infinity under band 106 includes a hook 108 which canengage with one of the plurality of slots 110 located along the lengthof the infinity under band 106. The infinity under band is made of acombination of microfiber and elasticated yarn that gives a lightpressure on the body and keeps the bra in the same place all through theday.

The size of the infinity under band 106 is regulated by the position ofthe hook along the length thereof in the most suitable slot 110 for theperson concerned. For a large size the infinity under band may be longerthan for a short size, this can be determined by the user after purchaseof the bra and the infinity under band may be cut to size by the user toavoid excessive overlap. The infinity under band may include one or moremarks indicating where the cut should be made based on the normal sizeof the user. For example, if a user is size 95B for one breast and 95Cfor the other, the user can buy a B cup side and a C cup side for therelevant breast and then cut the infinity under band to the 95cm markeron both sides. The user may decide to cut to any appropriate lengthbased on the users own comfort and tightness requirements. It may not benecessary to cut the band to size for different cup sizes as the lengthof the infinity under band under the cup will be different for differentcup sizes and as a result may be suitable to fit the user without afurther adjustment. The infinity under band ensures that the fitting iscompletely personalized.

The infinity strap may be adapted to facilitate more than one hook foradded security and comfort. The additional hook may be located at adifferent location than the end of the strap, for example at the frontnear to the center of the chest of the wearer, at a location under thebreast, or any other convenient location.

By using the infinity under band 106 bra manufacturers may make a singlesized bra side for each cup size for each breast. In this waymanufacturing costs may be significantly reduced. The only changes fromone bra side to the next is the cup size and whether the breast is onthe right hand side or the left hand side.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show the bra of the present invention on a narrow breastframe and a wide breast frame respectively showing two morphologieshaving the same size and different shape. The amount of overlap of thetwo sides is different for each situation. This further shows theadaptability of the bra of the present invention and the reason why thecenter front has been left out.

A bra according to the present invention can be manufactured in thefollowing non-limitative manner.

Manufacturing a bra cup of a predetermined cup size; attaching the cupto a back panel via a shoulder strap at an upper portion of the cup;attaching the cup to an attachment strap at a base of the cup; andattaching back panel at a predetermined location on the attachmentstrap. The attachment infinity under band includes a plurality of slotswhich can be engaged by a hook located at one end of the infinity underband to thereby regulate the size of the bra for each user.

The present invention has been described by way of examples as presentedabove, these are not intended to limit the scope of the invention whichmay include alternatives and different features without limitation.

1. A bra including respective first and second sides each adapted to fitrespective breasts; each side including a cup adapted to fit apredetermined cup size; a shoulder strap; and an attachment strapcapable of attaching the bra to a body in use, wherein the attachmentstrap includes a plurality of slots which can be engaged by a hooklocated at one end of the strap to thereby regulate the size of the brafor each user; and wherein the bra does not include a center frontportion between the cups.
 2. The bra of claim 1, further including eachbra side having a different cup size.
 3. The bra of claim 1 wherein thebra sides overlap at the front thereof by different amounts depending onthe separation of the breasts.
 4. The bra of claim 1 wherein the braincludes a back wing which is integral with the shoulder strap such thatthere is no shoulder strap adjustment.
 5. The bra of claim 1, includinga rear portion for balancing the bra side and holding the same in place.6. The bra of claim 5, wherein the shoulder strap has a fixed length. 7.The bra of claim 1, wherein the bra is wireless.
 8. The bra of claim 1,wherein the attachment strap includes a number of marks for indicating alocation to cut the attachment strap for different bra sizes.
 9. Amethod for manufacturing a bra comprising the steps of: making a cup ofa predetermined cup size; attaching the cup to a rear wing via ashoulder strap at an upper portion of the cup; attaching the cup to anattachment strap at a base of the cup; attaching the rear wing at apredetermined location on the attachment strap; wherein the attachmentstrap is capable of attaching the bra to a body in use; wherein theattachment strap includes a plurality of slots which can be engaged by ahook located at one end of the strap to thereby regulate the size of thebra for each user; and wherein there is no center front attached to theor each of the cups.